This invention relates to hay harvesting machines, such as a windrower or mower-conditioner, of the type having a pair of hay conditioning rolls which counterrotate to deliver crops in a rearwardly directed airborne stream for ultimate deposit on the ground in a windrow or in a swath, and, more particularly, to an improved crop deflector or baffle sheet therefor for laying crops in a swath.
It is highly desirable when cutting and conditioning a hay crop to have the option of laying the crop in a swath or consolidating the crop into a windrow. This has been accomplished in the past by providing a baffle sheet hinged at its leading edge to the machine above the crop flow and adjustably supported to its rear. In its raised position, the baffle sheet is out of the crop flow and the crop is free to pass to the windrowing apparatus for lateral consolidation into a windrow. When the baffle is lowered, the crop stream is intercepted and deflected downward to form a swath. Various baffles or crop deflectors of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,241,300, 3,543,491, 3,721,073, and 3,881,303.
The above-references further illustrate various devices for controlling the position of the baffle. Although each has its advantages, all provide inconvenient or cumbersome ways of adjusting the baffle position. In some, it is necessary to crawl under the machine, while in others, one must reach out over the top of the machine and adjust at two places. In another, the adjustment is at the side along the hinge pivot but if the deflector were a solid sheet as most deflectors are, it might require a great deal of strength to move it.